May 7, 1957
Tijuana
Dear parents of Los Angeles,
Some of you will be hearing
from your sons today. It seems that there was a get-together of young
men at a watering hole between Tijuana and Ensenada called the Halfway
House (or Half-Way House).
The Mexican authorities took rather a dim view of what
the Mirror called: "a wild party at which many allegedly were attired in
women’s clothing." The Times noted: "Photographs of many of the male
celebrants attired in women’s dresses and wearing cosmetics were
reportedly were taken by Mexican police."
According to three
youths, more than 100 people were arrested. "They refused to tell us
what the charge was and just muttered something about ‘a big raid’
nearby," one of them said.
Tijuana police and the State Judicial Police of Baja
California said they arrested 41 people, using ambulances to take them
to Tijuana, where they were booked on morals charges. Those who could
afford it posted $24 bail ($171.97 USD 2006) while the rest called
their parents.
About 150 others fled during the raid and escaped in their cars, The Times says.
According to one youth who was arrested, everybody was celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Read about a 1920 raid on a party at the home of former Los Angeles Mayor Arthur C. Harper.
ladailymirror.com 